1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid consuming apparatus.
2. Related Art
In an inkjet printer serving as an exemplary liquid consuming apparatus, in general, an ink cartridge, which is a detachable liquid container, is installed. A printer is disclosed that includes an ink cartridge provided with a prism, a holder (carriage) in which the ink cartridge is installed and that is provided with an opening portion at a position corresponding to the prism, and a detection portion having a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion, in order to detect the amount of remaining ink in the ink cartridge (e.g., see JP-A-2013-99890).
When the light radiated by the light-emitting portion and entering from the opening portion of the holder is reflected at an inclined face of the prism, the state of reflection differs depending on whether or not the inclined face is in contact with the ink. Using this fact, the amount of remaining ink is detected based on the level of intensity or the like of the reflected light that enters the light-receiving portion. For this reason, for example, the reflected light that is reflected at the holder, a bottom face of the prism, or the like could be noise light and be a factor that hinders accurate detection of the amount of remaining ink in some cases.
In the printer described in JP-A-2013-99890, a light-blocking portion is provided in the opening portion of the holder. When the holder moves in a direction in which the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are arranged, a part of the light radiated from the light-emitting portion is blocked by the light-blocking portion, thereby suppressing reflection at the bottom face of the prism. Furthermore, the light entering the light-blocking portion is caused to be reflected in a direction other than the direction toward the light-receiving portion by forming the bottom face (a face facing the detection portion) of the light-blocking portion into an inclined face aligned with the direction in which the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are arranged. Thus, reduction of the noise light is achieved.
The amount of remaining ink is detected when relative positions of the prism and the detection portion reach a predetermined position. Meanwhile, a detection position that is set as the predetermined position is shifted from an originally-assumed detection position in some cases. For this reason, for example, before the amount of remaining ink is detected, the holder is relatively moved with respect to the detection portion, and the detection position is corrected based on the intensity level or the like of the reflected light received by the light-receiving portion. However, if the holder is relatively moved with respect to the detection portion in order to correct the detection position in the printer described in JP-A-2013-99890, there is a possibility that the light radiated by the light-emitting portion is reflected at the bottom portion (a face facing the detection portion) of the holder and enters the light-receiving portion. Furthermore, the bottom face (a face facing the detection portion) of the light-blocking portion is an inclined face aligned with the direction in which the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion are arranged. Accordingly, there is a possibility that light radiated from the light-emitting portion and proceeds obliquely with respect to the normal direction of the bottom face of the prism is reflected at the inclined face of the light-blocking portion and enters the light-receiving portion. Such reflected light that is reflected at the bottom portion of the holder or the light-blocking portion is noise light and is a factor that decreases accuracy of correction of the detection position and the accuracy of detection of the amount of remaining ink.